A Guide To Standing Up To Yourself (For Pussies)

Speaking up doesn't come easily to everyone - but maybe it's time we tried harder

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Here’s a little secret that may well damage my brand of sweary insights - in real life, I’m a bit of a wuss. A lot of what I share on here is my inner life, my inner thoughts, my inner badassery. Like Joan Didion I rarely know what I think until I write it down - and on here somehow it’s easy to tumble about in the literary playground with other no-nonsense, badass women and men. Put me on the spot in real life, however, and will likely be quiet and thoughtful. Ask me an opinion in a meeting, and I’ll come back to you two days later with something concrete when I’ve had time to consider every angle.

When I was young I went through a brief period - inspired, I suspect, by the movie Working Girl - of saying my career ambition was to “wear a suit and shout at people”. My mother took great delight in reminding me of this when I grew up. In fairness, given my other career aspirations as a child were barmaid, hairdresser or actress, she was probably delighte…